18th Division (German Empire)
Encyclopedia
The 18th Division was a unit of the Prussia
n/German
Army
. It was formed on October 11, 1866 and was headquartered in Flensburg
. The division was subordinated in peacetime to the IX Army Corps (IX. Armeekorps). The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I
. The division was recruited primarily in Schleswig-Holstein
.
of 1870-71, the 18th Infantry Division saw action in the battles of Colombey
and Gravelotte
and in the Siege of Metz
. After the Battle of Noiseville
, the division entered the Loire campaign, fighting in the battles of 2nd Orléans
, Beaugency-Cravant, and Le Mans
.
During the opening phases of World War I, the 18th Infantry Division participated in the Battle of Liège
, the Allied Great Retreat
, the First Battle of the Marne
, and the First Battle of the Aisne
. In 1916, it saw action in the Somme, and in 1917 it was involved in the Battles of Arras
and Passchendaele. In 1918, it participated in the German Spring Offensive
and the subsequent Allied counteroffensives, including the Hundred Days Offensive
. Allied intelligence rated it a first class division.
, most divisional cavalry, including brigade headquarters, was withdrawn to form cavalry divisions or split up among divisions as reconnaissance units. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from their higher headquarters. The 18th Division was again renamed the 18th Infantry Division. The 18th Infantry Division's initial wartime organization was as follows:
- one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "square division
"). An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, the engineer contingent was increased, and a divisional signals command was created. The 18th Infantry Division's order of battle on March 8, 1918 was as follows:
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n/German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
Army
German Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...
. It was formed on October 11, 1866 and was headquartered in Flensburg
Flensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
. The division was subordinated in peacetime to the IX Army Corps (IX. Armeekorps). The division was disbanded in 1919 during the demobilization of the German Army after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The division was recruited primarily in Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
.
Combat chronicle
In the Franco-Prussian WarFranco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870-71, the 18th Infantry Division saw action in the battles of Colombey
Battle of Borny-Colombey
The Battle of Borny-Colombey was a minor battle of the Franco-Prussian War. It saw the escape route of the French army under François Bazaine blocked when they encountered the First Army under von Steinmetz...
and Gravelotte
Battle of Gravelotte
The Battle of Gravelotte was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War named after Gravelotte, a village in Lorraine between Metz and the former French–German frontier.-Terrain and armies:...
and in the Siege of Metz
Siege of Metz
The Siege of Metz lasting from 19 August – 27 October 1870 was fought during the Franco-Prussian War and ended in a decisive Prussian victory.-History:...
. After the Battle of Noiseville
Battle of Noiseville
The Battle of Noisseville on August 31, 1870 was fought during the Franco-Prussian War and ended in a Prussian victory.Traveling from Metz, the French forces under Marshal François Achille Bazaine attempted to break through the investing line of the Prussian forces under Prince Frederick Charles...
, the division entered the Loire campaign, fighting in the battles of 2nd Orléans
Second Battle of Orléans (1870)
The Second Battle of Orléans was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. It took place on December 3 and 4, 1870 and was part of the Loire Campaign...
, Beaugency-Cravant, and Le Mans
Battle of Le Mans
The Battle of Le Mans was a Prussian victory during the Franco-Prussian War which ended French resistance in western France.-Background:After the victory at the Battle of Orleans , Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia marched his army further to the west towards Le Mans. Antoine Chanzy had under his...
.
During the opening phases of World War I, the 18th Infantry Division participated in the Battle of Liège
Battle of Liège
The Battle of Liège was the opening engagement of the German invasion of Belgium, and the first battle of World War I. The attack on the city began on 5 August 1914 and lasted until the 16th when the last Belgian fort finally surrendered...
, the Allied Great Retreat
Great Retreat
The Great Retreat, also known as the Retreat from Mons, is the name given to the long, fighting retreat by Allied forces to the River Marne, on the Western Front early in World War I, after their holding action against the Imperial German Armies at the Battle of Mons on 23 August 1914...
, the First Battle of the Marne
First Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Marne was a First World War battle fought between 5 and 12 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German Army under Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke the Younger. The battle effectively ended the month long German offensive that opened the war and had...
, and the First Battle of the Aisne
First Battle of the Aisne
The First Battle of the Aisne was the Allied follow-up offensive against the right wing of the German First Army & Second Army as they retreated after the First Battle of the Marne earlier in September 1914...
. In 1916, it saw action in the Somme, and in 1917 it was involved in the Battles of Arras
Battle of Arras (1917)
The Battle of Arras was a British offensive during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British, Canadian, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops attacked German trenches near the French city of Arras on the Western Front....
and Passchendaele. In 1918, it participated in the German Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
and the subsequent Allied counteroffensives, including the Hundred Days Offensive
Hundred Days Offensive
The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of the First World War, during which the Allies launched a series of offensives against the Central Powers on the Western Front from 8 August to 11 November 1918, beginning with the Battle of Amiens. The offensive forced the German armies to retreat...
. Allied intelligence rated it a first class division.
Order of battle in the Franco-Prussian War
During wartime, the 18th Division, like other regular German divisions, was redesignated an infantry division. The organization of the 18th Infantry Division in 1870 at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War was as follows:- 35. Infanterie-Brigade
- Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 25
- Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 84
- 36. Infanterie-Brigade
- Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 11
- Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 85
- Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 9
- Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 6
Pre-World War I organization
German divisions underwent various organizational changes after the Franco-Prussian War. The organization of the 18th Division in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of World War I, was as follows:- 35. Infanterie-Brigade
- Infanterie-Regiment von Manstein (Schleswigsches) Nr. 84
- Füsilier-Regiment Königin (Schleswig-Holsteinisches) Nr. 86
- 36. Infanterie-Brigade
- Infanterie-Regiment Graf Bose (1. Thüringisches) Nr. 31
- Infanterie-Regiment Herzog von Holstein (Holsteinisches) Nr. 85
- 18. Kavallerie-Brigade:
- Husaren-Regiment Königin Wilhelmina der Niederlande (Hannoversches) Nr. 15
- Husaren-Regiment Kaiser Franz Joseph von Österreich, König von Ungarn (Schleswig-Holsteinisches) Nr. 16
- 18. Feldartillerie-Brigade:
- Feldartillerie-Regiment General-Feldmarschall Graf Waldersee (Schleswigsches) Nr. 9
- Lauenburgisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 45
- Landwehr-Inspektion Altona
Order of battle on mobilization
On mobilization in August 1914 at the beginning of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, most divisional cavalry, including brigade headquarters, was withdrawn to form cavalry divisions or split up among divisions as reconnaissance units. Divisions received engineer companies and other support units from their higher headquarters. The 18th Division was again renamed the 18th Infantry Division. The 18th Infantry Division's initial wartime organization was as follows:
- 35. Infanterie-Brigade
- Infanterie-Regiment von Manstein (Schleswigsches) Nr. 84
- Füsilier-Regiment Königin (Schleswig-Holsteinisches) Nr. 86
- 36. Infanterie-Brigade
- Infanterie-Regiment Graf Bose (1. Thüringisches) Nr. 31
- Infanterie-Regiment Herzog von Holstein (Holsteinisches) Nr. 85
- 3. Eskadron/2. Hannoversches Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 16
- 18. Feldartillerie-Brigade:
- Feldartillerie-Regiment General-Feldmarschall Graf Waldersee (Schleswigsches) Nr. 9
- Lauenburgisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 45
- 2. Kompanie/Schleswig-Holsteinisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 9
- 3. Kompanie/Schleswig-Holsteinisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 9
Late World War I organization
Divisions underwent many changes during the war, with regiments moving from division to division, and some being destroyed and rebuilt. During the war, most divisions became triangularTriangular division
A triangular division is a designation given to the way divisions are organized. In a triangular organization, the division's main body is composed of three regimental maneuver elements. These regiments may be controlled by a brigade headquarters or directly subordinated to the division commander...
- one infantry brigade with three infantry regiments rather than two infantry brigades of two regiments (a "square division
Square division
A square division is a designation given to the way military divisions are organized. In a square organization, the division's main body is composed of four regimental elements. Since a regiment could be split into separate battalions for tactical purposes, the natural division within a division...
"). An artillery commander replaced the artillery brigade headquarters, the cavalry was further reduced, the engineer contingent was increased, and a divisional signals command was created. The 18th Infantry Division's order of battle on March 8, 1918 was as follows:
- 36. Infanterie-Brigade
- Infanterie-Regiment Graf Bose (1. Thüringisches) Nr. 31
- Infanterie-Regiment Herzog von Holstein (Holsteinisches) Nr. 85
- Füsilier-Regiment Königin (Schleswig-Holsteinisches) Nr. 86
- Maschinengewehr-Scharfschützen-Abteilung Nr. 48
- 2.Eskadron/2. Hannoversches Dragoner-Regiment Nr. 16
- Artillerie-Kommandeur 18
- Lauenburgisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 45
- II.Bataillon/Fußartillerie-Regiment Nr. 28
- Stab Schleswig-Holsteinisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 9
- 2. Kompanie/Schleswig-Holsteinisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 9
- 3. Kompanie/Schleswig-Holsteinisches Pionier-Bataillon Nr. 9
- Minenwerfer-Kompanie Nr. 18
- Divisions-Nachrichten-Kommandeur 18